Turmeric is an Asian spice and a traditional remedy since 600 BC. The turmeric plant (Curcuma longa) is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The rhizome (underground stem) is used to obtain turmeric powder or ground turmeric. Turmeric was used for many centuries in Ayurveda, an Indian traditional medical system, for treating and preventing a number of illnesses. Modern scientific studies of the powerful biologically active compounds contained in the natural product, turmeric has been shown to have many health benefits including strong anti-cancer properties. It decreases symptoms of skin cancers and reduces the incidence of chemically caused breast cancer in animals.
Curcumin is an active ingredient derived from turmeric and it imparts the yellow color in turmeric. It has several biological activities with beneficial effects on cancer prevention and cure, and on a variety of other diseases such as arthritis, wound healing and Alzheimer's disease. In addition to curcumin there are several other biologically active compounds in turmeric which have not received much attention but have strong biological activity. Curcumin has been shown to be effective in three ways in attacking cancer. It suppresses transformation, proliferation, and metastasis of tumors. Curcumin has been shown to have protective and therapeutic effects against cancers of the blood, skin, pancreas, lung, oral cavity, and intestinal tract. Curcumin is shown to be multi-targeted since it modulates multiple cell signaling pathways. Curcumin asserts its anti-tumor activity by altering the dysregulated cell cycle via (a) cyclin-dependent, (b) p53-dependent and (c) p53-independent pathways.
However, curcumin is poorly bio-available following oral administration. The results suggest that doses of curcumin required to furnish hepatic levels sufficient to exert pharmacological activity are probably not feasible in humans and further research on both the biological activity and bioavailability of dietary polyphenols is needed to properly assess their usefulness for the prevention and treatment of disease.